Fliers using Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, will pay more in comparison to those opting for flights from the proposed Bihta airport, around 40km southwest of Patna.

The tickets at Patna will be costlier as airline operators have to operate their flights from Patna airport with certain restrictions owing to shorter length of the runway at the Patna airport.

R.N. Choubey, secretary, ministry of civil aviations, said: "Once Bihta airport is completed, airline tickets at Patna airport will be dearer in comparison to one being sold at Bihta. This will happen because of the airlines operating cost. As Patna airport's runway is short, the airline operating from here needs to keep a check on the load, which becomes essential for take-off and safe landing. As the airlines, will be forced to contain the number of passengers, to maintain their operating costs, they will increase the rate of tickets."

The civil aviation ministry, has, on several occasions termed Patna airport "unsafe" for big jets and threatened to shut down operations here. The length of the runway at Patna airport is just 7,000ft while a minimum length of 9,500ft is necessary for safe landing of A319, A320 or similar big aircraft.

Airport sources further claimed that against the total runway length of 7,000ft, only 6,409ft remains available at the time of landing and take-off because of the airport's location constraint. There is very little scope for extending the runway as it is constrained by Peer Ali Path (Airport Road) on the northern side and the Delhi-Howrah railway line on the southern side. This is why there was an urgent need to relocate the airport from Patna to Bihta.

Choubey said: "We acknowledge that the runway at Patna airport is not sufficient. However, at the same time, no way the length of runway at Patna airport can be increased as railway lines run along with the airport and also due to the presence of the Secretariat clock tower, which also acts an obstacle in the approach funnel and further cuts down the length of the runway that could be used. That was the reason the ministry gave its nod to build another airport in Bihta."

Now, as the flights operating from Patna airport have to take care of the load factor, both passenger and cargo inflow have to be curtailed by the airlines. However, since the operating cost would remain the same, the airlines will be left with no option but to hike the ticket rates, added Choubey.